The locals believe the bridge to be haunted, as locals do.The Juniper Hollow Ravine is where my story begins…For decades, the Blackmane coven has run the small mountain town of Juniper Hollow with money and fear. Thorn Blackmane might be the most feared of all. Cold-blooded. Heartless. Killer. His magic only has one purpose–to destroy the coven’s enemies. Until he’s ordered to kill a girl.Rose … ordered to kill a girl.
Rose came to town innocently enough, but her very presence is a threat to Thorn’s family.
Her pure heart offers redemption from his many sins.
Her body is an opportunity to commit many more.
And her magic could destroy them all.
There is no spell as potent as obsession.
No protection more powerful than love.
Secrets. Desire. Death.
Their forbidden union could be the spark that burns Juniper Hollow to the ground.
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So Kayti McGee and M. Pierce have woven their magic and in doing so take us on a journey to Juniper Hollow where we meet Thorn and his Rose. But it’s paranormal I hear you cry!!! Well, you need to get past that and see By Any Other Name for what it is which is a delicious love story filled with all kinds of mystery and magic that will undoubtedly find a place in your heart. Rose finds herself in Juniper Hollow looking for answers about her birth mother and instead finds Thorn who has been tasked with taking care of Rose and I don’t mean in a good way. As our star crossed lovers discover the secrets of the past will they be able to keep each other safe from those that want to destroy them? Yes and no is the answer to that and so we wait for Book 2 to find out exactly what awaits Rose and Thorn. Although the book is paranormal it’s not overly heavy on the witchcraft side of things and doesn’t distract from the romance of the story. It’s written beautifully and the characters are engaging. Being a fan of A Discovery of witches I found By Any Other Name a very enjoyable read.
I really enjoyed this, not very often a PNR read focuses on just witches and nothing else – very well written, engaging from the start it really does pull you in, dark and wicked with lots of intrigue!
Thorn is a 100 yr old witch or rather a warlock, but he appears to be in his late 20’s, dark, brooding, HAF, covered in tattoos and extremely powerful. He is used by his coven as a killing machine, exterminating their enemies, that is until he is told to kill a girl called Rose.
Rose was adopted but has had a DNA ping back saying she has a living relative, which she goes to explore. Unbeknownst to her she is about to find out that magic is very real. Her descendants turn out to be witches and enemies of Thorns, but she has untapped power within her, and Thorn is drawn to her light, her innocence, her beauty and her naivety. He goes against his covens orders of killing her and tries to save her instead.
A very unique and enticing read, Rose and Thorn’s chemistry was off the chart, I loved her tenacity and watching her learn and grow with her powers. It was dark and grisly in places, the coven focusing their whole strength trying to find Rose whilst Thorn keeps up the pretense of trying to find and kill her whilst hiding and keeping her safe, teaching her witchcraft. There are plenty of plot twists, lies, deceits and betrayal to keep you on your toes. I loved the in depth witch spells, rituals and lore that go with this story!
Being part of a duet this does end in a big cliffhanger so be prepared, but otherwise very much worth the read, I loved its uniqueness and can’t wait for the second book!
Okay I love when two authors team up and bring us amazing reads and this book definitely did not disappoint. I loved Rose and I LOVED Thorn. This book had so many great aspects that just worked so well together to bring us a dark and mysterious story with forbidden romance thrown in the mix. I love that with this read we got Witches and amazing Witches at that. I feel like a lot of the paranormal I read can sometimes feel like the same kind of story. There were so many elements that just made this book feel different and I loved that. It does end in a cringeworthy cliffhanger that had me cursing the authors. But it was a fantastic read and I can’t wait until the next book! If you are in the mood for a great paranormal that will give you something a little different then definitely check this one out!
This book centers around Thorn Blackmane, witch/warlock and assassin for the Blackmane Coven. We begin with Thorn’s task of Eliminating Rose. He never questions orders, but this time something about Rose makes him hold back.
Rose is in town to discover information about her family, and through Thorn she learns that she is actually a witch herself.
The chemistry between the two is explosive, as they grow Thorn becomes not only her protector but also her lover. The twists and turns, finding her powers, learning to use them, the lies, the deceits, the betrayals it all comes slipping out.
I enjoyed this read, well written, great characters, but at times i did feel that it was a little drawn out. Lots of fizzle and sizzling. to keep me turning the pages but i kept waiting for the bang. Such a strong build up and i really expected a boom at the end, and felt a little deflated that it was just a pop.
Still a good book worth a read and looking forward to the next installment !
I went into this book thinking I didn’t enjoy the paranormal genre and left it realizing that it’s only vampires and shapeshifters I’m tired of reading about. Witches? I am COOL with witches.
One of my favorite things about this book was how unexpected Kayti McGee’s prose is. That sounds insulting to her, and I certainly don’t mean it that way. I’m accustomed to seeing romantic comedies from her, but in Rose, McGee shows depth and breadth that are utterly delightful. As much as I enjoyed Thorne’s sections, I found myself looking forward more to Rose’s. Her perspective on what happens to her captivated me, perhaps because I think I’d react the same way. I also related to her on some personal levels (let’s just say that Kayti McGee perfectly captures the emotional ambivalence of an adoptee).
Thorne, on the other hand, is what you’d expect from M. Pierce. He’s broody, sneering (he smirks a LOT), imperious, and occasionally taciturn. I’m an M. Pierce fan, too, and after a few years of no M. Pierce books, I greedily inhaled this, as if Pierce’s absence left me aching for air.
The story keeps you turning the pages, both because you want to know what happens next and, perhaps more importantly, because you need to make sure Rose and Thorne will defy the odds stacked very much against them. Their romance is deliciously ardent, fervent, almost feral. I loved seeing them fall for each other, and I swooned over their sexy times.
So. Why four stars and not five? It’s the cliffhanger, dear readers.
I love a good cliffhanger. I get that some of you don’t, but I love them. I love that sense of being pushed right to the edge, terrified that I will fall to my doom if I don’t find out what happens next. This one, however, doesn’t feel like a cliffhanger at all, even though I think it’s intended to be one. A second book comes in the spring, and I think it’s supposed to be a Part II and not an interconnected stand-alone. The ending of this one feels like a gentle roll down a hill rather than a perilous, heart-stopping scream.
Therefore, in this edition of If I Beta Read This Book, I would implore its authors to end the story without the epilogue. That’s the thing! They had the PERFECT ending. PERFECT. They had the ending that makes you scream, that makes you feel as if you’ll never last until the next book releases. But then they added an epilogue that feels entirely unnecessary.
Let me know what you think. You absolutely need to read this book. Am I wrong? Do I need to reconsider the ending? Tell me.
This book pushes all my witchy hot buttons.
I can’t begin to explain how much I love this book. The fantasy/hero’s journey arc intertwines so seamlessly with the romance – it’s a thing of beauty. It’s been years since I’ve read a story so captivating. The witchy elements feel so authentic. The emotional arc is perfection. Kayti and M ‘s voices mesh like a heavenly choir. This book is Mayfair witches good – and for me that is a mile high bar to clear.
This may very well be my Top Read of 2019.
Look out Anne Rice!!!
Perfection!
Hmmm, on the heels of Halloween comes this original story about witches. By Any Other Name by Kayti McGee will have you spellbound and waiting for the conclusion of the story due out next year. The story is unique and gripping and will leave you thinking about witches in a whole new way, both good and bad. With spells and rituals and sex the story is a paranormal work that might push you over the edge while you are growling at the last page! 5-stars for By Any Other Name by Kayti McGee.
Thorn Blackmane is his coven’s death witch, when a problem arises it’s up to Thorn to take the troublemakers for a walk on the old trestle bridge. The Maven has given Thorn a task, one that he quickly wishes hadn’t been given to him. Thorn is to kill a young beautiful red head that is new to town, but for once Thorn wants to know why he must take a life. Rose has never had the urge to find out where she came from until an overpowering need consumes her. Rose picks up her life and drives to the little town of Juniper Hollow to find an uncle that she has just learned about. To Rose’s surprise she finds her uncle and he gives her a warning to leave and never come back, the same warning that the gorgeous stranger gives her. Now even though Rose is scared to return to the small town she is more scared if she doesn’t. Now not only is Rose’s life in danger but a beautiful man that has taught her what real magic feels like.